


A Not so Sweet Farewell

by AliceAktorka



Category: Layton Brothers: Mystery Room
Genre: London, Murder Mystery, Post-Canon, Scotland Yard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 04:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20687831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceAktorka/pseuds/AliceAktorka
Summary: It was another day in the Mystery Room and everything seemed to be going normally. Florence delivered another case to the room, Lucy and Alfendi looked over it and they readied themselves to solve another mystery.However, things began to go awry once Alfendi noticed that the Reconstruction Device had been purposefully tampered with. Too rage-filled to think properly, he insisted that he knew who the culprit was and rudely pushes Lucy's thoughts to the side.Will the two detectives be able to fix their bond?Who is the true mastermind behind this crime?Read on to find out.





	1. A Troubled Start

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first attempt at writing anything in the Professor Layton universe, so apologies if the characters or story stray from canon.

Lucy Baker stepped into the Mystery Room office with a pep in her step and a smile on her face, straightening the orange-red cap on her head. The room was in a state of disaster, papers and books as far as the eye could see, as per usual. Lucy didn’t mind it all that much. Over the course of time that she had spent in the Mystery Room with the inspector, she had gotten used to the rather chaotic state of the office. It had become like a second home for her. A home away from home as the saying goes. Plus, she didn’t know how the inspector would react if she even as much as moved a single paper, and frankly didn’t want to find out. She scanned the room a bit, searching for where the inspector himself could be. Her scarlet eyes rested upon a figure sitting on a chair at the desk, a newspaper in his hand. “Hey Prof!” Lucy called out with an enthusiastic wave.

The inspector lowered the newspapers from his face and couldn’t help the small smile on his expression. “Good morning Lucy,” he greeted.

“Sooo~! What’s the case today?” Lucy inquired happily.

“I actually haven’t heard from anyone yet…” Alfendi answered.

Lucy frowned, but soon perked right back up again. “Surely it won’t be long before we get one, right?”

Alfendi looked as if he were about to respond, when right on que, sneezes could be heard outside the office door. “Speak of the devil…” Alfendi muttered to himself. Lucy paid no attention to the comment and opened the door for Florence, who had a case file in hand.

“Long time no see, eh, Florence?” Lucy said with a little laugh.

“Do you have another case that is particularly puzzling?” Alfendi asked.

Florence nodded. “Yup...we have three suspects...but the evidence doesn’t exactly add up to any of them…” Florence replied before sniffling and sneezing once more.

“Oh? How so?” Lucy questioned, curiosity in her gaze.

“Have a look for yourself…” Florence handed the case over to Lucy, who began flipping through it with concentration.

“Hmmm…this is a rather odd one,” Lucy agreed.

“Let me have a look,” Alfendi requested. Lucy nodded and gave the files to the inspector. He narrowed his golden eyes and then widened them, as if surprised by something.

Florence, seeing that they were already busy at work with the mystery, exited the room. “I’ll leave it to you, Lucy and Prof…” She smirked, leaving before Alfendi could make any comment about the nickname. Alfendi shot daggers towards where Florence had been mere moments prior, a few strands of hair on his head shifting to a brighter shade of red.

Lucy interjected before he could get too carried away. “Is summat especially strange about the case? You seemed surprised,”

Alfendi blinked, the few strands of hair returning pale again. He gave a single nod. “Well, one of the suspects here is someone I know…” he answered.

“Eh?” Lucy proclaimed in shock.

Alfendi took out one of the suspect cards. It had a red border with “Zara Jones” in white text. Just below the name were details about the suspect: _25/F, Computer Scientist. A friend to the victim’s sister who struggles financially and with debt. She is fairly intelligent and witted, but could use her smarts to her advantage. _

Paper-clipped onto the card was a photo of a young woman. She had beige skin, auburn hair kept in a bun, sapphire eyes, and wore dark blue glasses. The collar of her light sky blue shirt could be seen in the photograph as well.

“She seems awful fishy...May I ask how you know her?” Lucy looked to the inspector expectantly.

“You noticed she’s a computer scientist, correct?” Alfendi asked, to which Lucy nodded. “Well, she was a main contributor to the creation of the Reconstruction Device.”

“By ‘eck! How did she get mixed up in all of this?” Lucy questioned with shock.

“That’s what intrigues me,” Alfendi answered. “May I give you a rundown of what’s known so far about the case?”

Lucy smiled. “I’m ready Prof! Let’s see what this one has got in store for us!”

Alfendi grinned slightly before clearing his throat. “Well, unfortunately, there is not much to go on for this case...All that is known is the point from when the body was found and forward. This is most likely due to the fact that the victim was twenty-three-year-old Ethan Robinson, who worked a stay-at-home job and rarely left the house. Something about him that is important to note is his condition. He was a type one diabetic.” Alfendi looked at the files once more. “One of the suspects, nineteen-year-old Sally Robinson, went to apologize after an argument she’d had with her brother the previous day, only to find him sprawled out dead on the stairs that lead from the ground floor up to the first floor.”

Lucy gasped, a hand to her mouth. “That mustn’t have been a pretty sight after an argument…” she commented.

Alfendi continued. “Afterwards, she reported the death, crying hysterically.”

“Ee, I would too if I were in her situation…” Lucy murmured.

Alfendi went on. “The autopsy record states Ethan had a high amount of sugar in his bloodstream, a deadly amount to a diabetic like him, so it is most likely his condition was used against him.” Lucy frowned and glanced to Alfendi.

“How do the suspects tie in? Couldn’t this easily be a horrible accident?”

“Well, it was reported these two friends of Sally’s, named Zara Jones and Aurora Green, had ties to Ethan that could easily become motive, and were nearby during the calculated time of death. The scene of Ethan’s death also suggests foul play.”

“Should we take a look at it through the Reconstruction Device?” Lucy suggested.

Alfendi nodded. “Let me get it running…” He walked over to the device and began booting it up. It seemed mere moments had passed before Alfendi’s hair changed to a brighter shade of scarlet and hung messily upon his head, blocking his eyes. “What?!” He snarled in anger.

“Potty Prof…” Lucy whispered to herself.

“_Who could have done this...and why?!_” Alfendi asked to seemingly no one in particular, pure unfiltered rage in his tone.

“Is summat the matter, Prof…?” Lucy asked, being sure to not come off as hostile at all while Alfendi was in another of his angry moments.

“Yes!” Alfendi answered sharply, stepping to the side to allow Lucy a look at the device, which was showing multiple error messages.

“That doesn’t look good…” Lucy remarked with wide eyes.

“You’re right…” Alfendi muttered. “It doesn’t…”

“Er...any idea about how this may have happened…? Maybe it’s some kind of glitch…?”

“This isn’t just some simple glitch…” Alfendi growled. “This is more advanced...someone purposefully broke it. This could take ages to repair! I would most likely need to contact…” Suddenly, Alfendi froze, and his furious expression heightened. “Zara…” he hissed.

Lucy looked at the inspector as if he’d started speaking in another language. “Prof…? Mind catching me up here…?”

Alfendi huffed. “The way that the device has been broken down suggests someone with plenty of experience with computers and machinery, and this specific device, deliberately made it unusable. The only person with that kind of experience, especially with the one of a kind machinery that makes up the Reconstruction Device, is Zara Jones...she must have intentionally made our lives difficult for us, wanting to slow down the investigation process.” He chuckled a little. “Well thank you for your kindness, Zara...now I know exactly who to go after…”

Lucy wanted to speak up, to tell Alfendi that he was leaping to conclusions. Couldn’t it be possible that Zara had been set up? Or perhaps she was trying to send some kind of message? Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but only then realized the inspector wasn’t where he had been a few seconds prior. Quickly, Lucy left the Mystery Room and looked down the hall. Sure enough, Alfendi was marching his way down the corridor, muttering unintelligibly. People were giving him a few looks but knew better than to approach him at the current moment. Lucy, however, chased after him. “Prof, wait! Where are you going?”

“If Zara wants things to be more difficult for me, then fine. She can have it her way. I’m not giving up just yet…” Alfendi answered.

“You still haven’t answered my question…” Lucy countered.

Alfendi sighed. “We are going to the crime scene. We are fortunate it isn’t that far from here,”

Lucy nodded. “Oh, alright then. This should be fun! We haven’t gone to an actual scene since…” Her eyes widened and she stopped, realizing it wouldn’t be a smart idea to bring up the case where Alfendi had been the main suspect, even if Lucy had proven Alfendi to be innocent. It would be an especially bad idea to do so when Alfendi was already quite angry. Luckily for Lucy, Alfendi was too focused on the task ahead of him to pay much mind to her comment.

The two of them made their way to the crime scene, remaining rather quiet along the way. Lucy had tried talking sense into the inspector a few times, only for it to get shot down at each attempt. This caused Lucy to grow frustrated, but she kept her composure and emotions under control to the best of her ability, reminding herself that everything would be alright once the case was said and done. The inspector was just getting a little riled up about the case and the misfortune of the Reconstruction Device being purposefully tampered with. Soon enough, Lucy and Alfendi found themselves at the door of the late Ethan Robinson’s home. Lucy hadn’t even been given the chance to open her mouth to say something when Alfendi marched inside, a tight scowl on his lips. The inspector tossed the case file onto a table, only taking out a few notes related to Zara’s ties to the murder. He turned his back to Lucy and began murmuring to himself.

A little irritated, Lucy let out a sigh and picked up the discarded case file, skimming through it a few more times as she wandered the scene, being careful about where she stepped and ensuring she didn’t touch anything in the case it could be substantial evidence. When she had nearly scoured the entirety of the home, she felt her shoulders slump, about ready to give in, find Alfendi, and listen to his anger-fueled hunches. Her gaze landed on one door leading to a room she had not yet entered. She cautiously stepped through the doorway and blinked in surprise at the disarray that met her eyes. The bed was nowhere near neat and orderly, the blankets strewn everywhere and the pillows tossed carelessly on the floor. Lucy quickly opened the files again and located the notes about the room. While she was doing so, something caught her curiosity out of the corner of her eye. The drawer of the bedside table was left partially open. Lucy closed the case notes and stepped closer, peering inside the drawer and seeing what she could find. A notepad and pen had been left inside, as well as something of investigative significance to the murder, or at least, Lucy believed it to be of importance. In the drawer was a blood glucose meter, its power currently switched off. The reason it stood out so much to Lucy, was because it was the only object found related to Ethan’s diabetes. “Why would the blood glucose meter be the only diabetes related tool found? What about the insulin? Where could that be…?” Lucy questioned to herself. She sorted through the notes again, but found nothing speaking about insulin or a needle for it. Her gaze then narrowed upon a bit of information about the drawer. “Aurora Green’s fingerprints were found on the drawer knob…? Mighty suspicious…” She glanced around the bedroom, and her scarlett eyes brightened as she pieced together a possible story and sequence of events. True, there were a few pieces left missing, but surely it would be enough to knock the inspector out of the box he had built around himself. Determination was set on Lucy’s countenance as she stepped out of the bedroom and over to Alfendi, who was peering suspiciously at what appeared to be an empty box of chocolates left behind on the kitchen countertop. His hair was still a bright shade of red and messily fell in front of his face.

He must have caught Lucy from the side of his field of vision, for he asked, “Find anything that points Zara as the culprit…?”

Lucy shook her head. “Quite the opposite really,”

Alfendi snapped his body around to face Lucy with a harsh glare.

“Oh...care to explain…?”

Despite the furious look Alfendi was giving her, Lucy remained undeterred. “Sure thing, Prof.” She took the suspect card for Aurora Green and showed it triumphantly to the inspector. “It were Aurora Green behind it all!”

Alfendi chuckled. “And what’s your reasoning behind that conclusion, Lucy…?” he questioned, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

“The state of the bedroom tipped me off. Everything is a chaotic mess in there, as if a struggle took place…” Lucy explained.

“Go on…” Alfendi urged with a furrowed brow.

“And the bedside table drawer was slightly open, revealing a blood glucose meter that had been left inside with no sign of any insulin to be seen. Since Aurora’s fingerprints were on the drawer handle, I have reason to suspect she took the insulin away from Ethan, leaving him to struggle after her and eventually die,”

Alfendi frowned. “That is an intriguing concept, Lucy, but I am afraid you are dead wrong…” Alfendi responded, his tone and glance towards Lucy demeaning and disappointed, like a teacher who was dissatisfied with a student’s answer.

“What makes you say that, Prof?” Lucy inquired.

“I found evidence that Zara Jones was behind it all,” he answered. He then gestured to the empty box of chocolates. “This is the murder weapon. Chocolates with a high amount of sugar. Zara’s fingerprints are on the box, and she even was kind enough to leave behind a note.” He pointed at a sticky note on the box. Written a little messily on it was the message,_ Hope you enjoy! These chocolates are to die for!_

Alfendi gave Lucy a triumphant grin. “I can guarantee the penmanship is Zara’s. I certainly recognize it.”

Lucy was nearing her tipping point. Just what was up with Alfendi lately? He seemed fixated upon proving Lucy wrong, as if she were an enemy instead of a partner. She was trying her hardest to remain under control, but each time he looked at her with that belittling glance, her patience decreased bit by bit. A smirk of her own found its way onto her lips. “Well, that’s fine and all, but what about the victim? Why aren’t his fingerprints on the box?”

Alfendi seemed to falter ever so slightly, but otherwise appeared unfazed. “Zara very well may have taken the chocolates out for Ethan.”

“What about the placement of the body? How do you explain why it ended up on the stairs if you are completely disregarding my theory?”

Alfendi glared sternly at Lucy. “Poke holes in my conclusion all you’d like. Yours isn’t any better, of course.”

Lucy stood, open mouthed, completely miffed at his words. Trying to fight back the hurt, she began to lose control of herself. “_Of course_? What do you mean _of course_? I am a detective par excellence I’ll have you know. Without my help, you very well could be in jail right now for two crimes you didn’t commit!” She snapped.

“Well maybe the second crime wouldn’t exist if you hadn’t oh so stupidly fallen directly into the trap Diane had made for you!” Alfendi retorted.

Lucy grit her teeth but then let out a sigh. “We shouldn’t be bickering about this. That case is in the past now. We need to work together to solve the case in front of us.” She extended her hand. “Can we make amends…?”

Alfendi waved her hand away. “Fine, we can focus on the task ahead. I’ll find Zara and interrogate her. It is your choice if you want to join me.”

Lucy stepped back, once again stung by the inspector’s demeanor. She huffed. “Fine then, I suppose I’ll talk to Aurora and see what I can get out of her.”

“Works with me. It’d probably be easier for me to think with the piece and quiet,” Alfendi said with a nod. Lucy felt her frustrations rise.

“I’ll get Aurora to confess to her crimes, just you wait!”

Alfendi scoffed. “I am 97.8% sure Aurora Green isn’t our culprit.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow. “That leaves a 2.2% window of uncertainty. Perhaps I’ll prove your calculations wrong.”

Alfendi chuckled. “I highly doubt it.” He headed to the door. “Now, if you excuse me, I have a murderer I need to crack into spilling the truth,” With that, he walked out of the home, leaving Lucy standing with her hands balled into fists and her expression pulled into an angry scowl. She let out a long sigh and wiped away the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. “If he wants to split off, then so be it. I am sure to crack this case with or without his help!” She smiled determinedly. She then faltered slightly.

“I hope…”


	2. A Sudden Twist

Lucy paced around the room while she waited for Aurora’s arrival. The more Lucy thought about how to interrogate Aurora, the more she questioned the legitimacy of her theory. It did hold barely any water and left plenty of holes. Lucy began to wish she had the inspector by her side to help her think things through. However, that wish wouldn’t come to light anytime soon. She just had to hope that maybe Aurora wouldn’t be as tough of a nut to crack as some of the other suspects Lucy had faced during her time as detective constable in Scotland Yard. 

Lucy jumped a little as she heard the door open. A twenty year old woman stepped inside tentatively. She had mocha skin, dark wavy hair and turquoise eyes that darted around the room. She wore a rather simple pink dress, black leggings and Mary Jane shoes. 

“Hello, you are Miss Aurora Green, correct?” Lucy inquired.

Aurora nodded a little. “Y-yes...that is correct…”

Lucy smiled reassuringly to the woman. “You needn’t be afraid. Just answer my questions honestly and things will get sorted out easily.” Lucy paged through the case file. “So, it is suspected you were the one responsible for the late Ethan Robinson’s death, mostly due to your fingerprints on the knob of th--”

Aurora quickly cut her off. “A-alright! I-I admit it! N-no more questions!” She pleaded. 

Lucy’s brow furrowed. “I-I didn’t even ask anythin--”

“It was me! I killed Ethan! I took away his insulin when he needed it the most! Jealousy and rage had taken over my sense of judgement! I was completely in shock when I had caught wind he had started dating my ex-girlfriend, and when I had confirmed the rumors to be true, I couldn’t control myself. I am a hopeless romantic at heart, though others might claim I am desperate. Whatever the reason, I just felt unconstrained enmity alight in the depths of my soul! I just can’t let things go, I can’t let the past remain in the past! I knew it would get me in trouble someday! It seems the day has finally come!” Tears rolled down Aurora’s face in a steady stream.

Lucy remained speechless for a few moments. Once she had gathered herself again, she replied, “Please...remain calm...could you explain how the scene wen--”

“I have all the evidence you need right here!” Aurora blurted. Her hand was in her purse, and she appeared to be fishing around for something. Her grip tightened around an object and she lifted her hand from her purse and extended it to Lucy. In her hand was some kind of small bottle. Curious, Lucy took the bottle and looked at its label. Printed in large font was the word “INSULIN”. 

“See? I stole it from him! It was me, and me alone! No one else is in the wrong! You can arrest me now, I know my time has come…” Aurora finished.

Lucy was left silent once more. Part of her felt successful for determining that Aurora was in fact the one behind the murder. Another part of her got the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Aurora seemed far too quick to hand herself in. The last suspect who jumped into a confession was Uttar, and it was later revealed he was innocent and had claimed to be guilty because of fear. Was it possible that Aurora had a similar reason? Lucy’s mind went back to the inspector. He could put his take on the matter. Then again would he really want to? Lucy shook her head to herself. It made no difference how bitter and stubborn Alfendi wanted to be. It didn’t change the fact that he would likely get nowhere running around in pointless circles fueled by pure outrage. He couldn’t give Lucy the silent treatment forever. 

Lucy took a deep breath and built up her courage and her best poker face. She had to remain calm this time and not let her emotions fly off the handle, no matter what Alfendi would say. 

She looked over to Aurora, who was wiping her eyes with a sleeve. “Come with me,” Lucy instructed. “We’ll talk this out with the Prof,” 

Aurora gave a tacit nod of understanding, following close behind Lucy as the both of them exited the room.

It wasn’t long before Lucy came face to face with the inspector again, Zara trailing behind him. Alfendi had a big grin on his countenance as he locked eyes with Lucy. His expression was like a cat who had successfully caught the canary. “What great timing you have Lucy…” he stated with a chuckle. “Zara here has already admitted to being guilty, and in record time too,”

Lucy stepped backwards, caught off guard by this revelation. “Eh?” 

Zara nodded. “It’s true. I purposefully gave him that box of chocolates in the hopes it would do him in, or at the very least, knock him out for a bit…” She admitted, nervously fidgeting with her hands. “I had owed him money that I wasn’t able to repay...I-I was desperate…”

Lucy frowned in thought. “This is most strange…” She muttered.

“What is…?” Alfendi asked, appearing eager to watch her give in.

“I hadn’t even asked Aurora a single question when she all of a sudden spilled out a confession saying she was guilty,” Lucy answered.

Alfendi huffed. “Well that simply couldn’t be. I am quite certain Zara is the guilty party. Why else would she give in?”

Lucy shook her head. “There must be something else to this. Aurora claimed to have committed the crime all on her own without any help from anyone. How could that be true if Zara says she was the one responsible? What reason would Aurora have to lie so directly?”

Alfendi bristled. “Are you claiming that I am in the wrong?” He asked in a low tone of voice. “Are you saying that my deductive reasoning is completely false?” His temper continued to heighten. 

Lucy nodded. “Perhaps so. Surely if we talk things out---” Lucy began but was caught off.

“ _ What?! _ ” Alfendi lashed out. “Lucy, you would be absolutely nowhere if it hadn’t been for me! You keep telling me to listen, but perhaps if you paid attention, you’d realize I have a point here!”

“Alfendi please!” Lucy begged, beginning to get desperate. “We mustn’t fight like this! We need to speak calmly and collec--”

“Like I care! I know that no matter what I say you won’t get your stupid fantasies out of your head. Yes, I know cases can be complex sometimes, but not everything is the same! Sometimes the answer is right in front of you and now you are refusing to take it! To think I was proud of how far you’ve come...well, I suppose you’ve proved me wrong haven’t you? You really aren’t as good as I hoped. Things were better when I was alone, so why don’t you just leave now!”

Lucy hadn’t even realized it, but tears had begun falling down her cheeks, one at a time, their speed steadily increasing. “I just want us to work together…” She whispered. “I know you aren’t normally like this Prof...I know the real you...or at least I thought I did...I-I don’t know anymore...I tried to accept you and help you but now you’re pushing me away...how can I be of any assistance to you if you refuse it all the time…?” She sighed. “But fine...I’ll leave…” She turned on her heel and began to walk off. She had only gone a few steps when she felt a gentle grip on her shoulder holding her back. She slowly turned her head to meet Alfendi’s gaze. His hair had re-sorted itself on his face and was back to a pale red-brown. “Lucy wait…” he urged, a pleading look in his golden eyes. “You’re right...I’m sorry...I...let my anger take control of me...I shouldn’t have acted as I did…” He let out an exhale of self-disappointment. “Could we still think this case through...as partners…?” He extended his hand hopefully.

Lucy thought everything over. She then smiled, sniffling away the tears. “Partners,” She agreed, shaking his hand. 

He smiled back with relief. 

Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but then caught sound of something that caused her to step back again in shock and drop Alfendi’s hand. 

Now that the inspector and Lucy had stopped arguing, the turmoil of two other people bickering could be heard. 

Lucy glanced around for the source to find Zara Jones and Aurora Green standing off against one another. Zara had her arms crossed and her head was turned away from Aurora. Meanwhile, Aurora had dug her hands into her own hair out of pure stress. 

“Why would you make such a change to the crime scene?” Zara asked.

“I could ask you the same thing! I mean really, a box of chocolates and a note? That’s the best you’ve got?” Aurora countered.

“I was  _ trying  _ to help my friend!” Zara retorted defensively.

“So was I! She told me you had refused to help her!”

“Well what if I changed my mind?”

Lucy shifted her gaze over to the inspector, who had already noticed the feuding suspects. He appeared lost in thought.

“Well this is a strange new twist…” Lucy commented.

Alfendi merely smiled slightly. “Lucy...I believe that a visit back to the crime scene is in order. I have a suspicion that we may not have turned every single rock and have yet to find something that could piece this all together…”

Lucy looked curious. “Oh?” She then nodded. “Alright then, back to Robinson’s we go!” Her confidence faltered as she looked back to Zara and Aurora, who had quieted down slightly, but still continued to quibble to one another. “What about them…?” Lucy asked, gesturing to the two women.

Alfendi sighed. “They’re still going at it…?” he muttered. “I’ll handle it,” He cleared his throat, admittedly more than once, in order to gain the attention of the two suspects. “Lucy and I are going to re-check something. It won’t take long, I’m sure. Please, stay put until we return.” Potty Prof then began to shine through once more. “And don’t you dare cause trouble…”

Zara and Aurora looked ready to dispute, but simply huffed and remained silent at the deadly glare Alfendi shot them.

Alfendi then turned his attention back to Lucy. “Right. Now, let’s go back and see what we missed, shall we?”

Lucy smiled and nodded, excitement agleam in her eyes. “Aye! We shall!”

With that, the both of them went off to revisit the scene of the crime. The trip was more pleasant than the first time, and the both of them exchanged short words discussing their theories about what the missing piece could be.

Once at the door of Ethan Robinson’s, Lucy and Alfendi walked inside. Alfendi flipped through the case file and Lucy scanned the area with a keen eye. She headed over to the counter where the empty box of chocolates still lay, searching for any other evidence that could point to a conclusion different from what Lucy and Alfendi had found earlier. She was about to leave the kitchen when something poking out of the trash can caught her eye. “Hmm...what’s this…?” She asked, gently fishing it out. It appeared to be an empty donut bag, a few crumbs still left inside. However, crumbs weren’t the only things the bag kept inside. Among the traces of chocolate lay another sticky note, this one with a message written in a style completely different than the note left behind by Zara on the chocolate box. Zara’s handwriting was more manuscript, and a tad messy, as if she were trying to get the words down as quickly as possible. This handwriting was in a cursive style, and each letter seemed to have care poured into it, like the author had put their heart into the message. It read, “Hope this treat is as sweet as you claim mother to be” with a small heart in the corner instead of a signature. Immediately, the pieces began to click into place in Lucy’s mind. “Prof, I think I found the missing link,” She called out, walking towards the inspector with the bag in hand. 

Alfendi glanced up with a knowing glimmer in his golden eyes. “Oh…? I may have a guess as to what it is…” 

Lucy held out the bag and revealed the note inside. Alfendi nodded. “Just as I thought.” He showed Lucy a part of the file and pointed to a line informing about the donut bag. “Ethan’s sister stated she had brought donuts as an apology treat. Sure enough, her fingerprints can be found on the bag. I had brushed this piece of evidence to the side, thinking it held no relevance and too distracted by my frustrations. Now that I take a closer look, I notice something odd about the bag, other than the note, which seems a bit ominous on its own.” He looked to Lucy inquisitively. “Do you know of what I am referring to?”

Lucy nodded with a small grin. “Aye! It is a bit odd that there are only crumbs left. Why would Sally see the body and then eat the donut intended for her now deceased brother? Furthermore, why dispose of the bag in Ethan’s kitchen?”

Alfendi smiled back. “Exactly! I believe we have the real murder weapon now.”

Lucy appeared enthusiastic that they had gotten to the bottom of the case. “Shall we locate Sally?”

Alfendi shook his head with a few chuckles towards Lucy’s charming excitement. “Not yet. I have a few questions for Zara and Aurora that I’d like to have answered,”

**~**

Lucy and Alfendi stood in waiting for the final suspect to arrive, sharing glances to each other and feeling the thrill that accompanied them each time they awaited the final interrogation. It wasn’t much longer until a young woman entered the room. She had almond skin, slightly disheveled black hair kept in two braids and honey colored eyes that appeared bloodshot, as if she’d been crying. Her makeup was a little smudged as well, suggesting it had been ruined by tears. She wore a university t-shirt and blue jeans. “I-I was told to come here…?” she questioned a bit shyly. “Has the case been closed…? Do you know what happened to my brother? P-please! Tell me!”

Lucy knew it was likely Sally was merely acting, but she couldn’t help but feel a pang in her heart at the completely distraught expression on the college student’s face.

Alfendi appeared unfazed. “Yes. It took us some time, but we have finally pieced together the person behind Ethan’s passing.”

Sally’s countenance brightened. “You have…? Who is it? Who is the monster behind my poor elder brother’s demise? Do I know them?”

Alfendi laughed a little. “I’d say you know them very well.” His gaze shifted to Lucy. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Lucy got a hold of herself and nodded. “The person behind Ethan’s death is no other than you, Miss Robinson!” She declared, pointing a finger to Sally.

Sally stepped back, completely flabbergasted. “W-what? I assure you, I would never do such a thing! I am destroyed at the loss of my brother. Why are you claiming I’m the one who ended his life?”

“There is a decisive piece of evidence that proves you as guilty!” Lucy replied confidently.

“There is?” Sally looked very confused. “What about Aurora? I thought I heard she had motives against my brother and I even caught wind that she had left evidence behind on the scene!”

“That’s because you told her to cover for you!” Lucy countered.

Alfendi smiled. “Aurora also wasn’t the only one to leave her mark behind and tamper with the crime scene...Zara did too,”

“Zara…? She...did?” Panic flashed on Sally’s countenance for a brief moment.

“Aye! She may have denied your plea for help when you first contacted her, but it appears she had a change of heart.” Lucy added.

“Well, if they both have left evidence behind, couldn’t they have worked together? I still don’t see how I tie into this at all,” Sally countered.

“Both Zara and Aurora claimed to have committed the crime without any assistance. Now, that can’t be possible if they each left behind pieces of evidence, correct? Unless, like Lucy stated, you cried out for help,” Alfendi said cooly.

Sally’s confidence started to crack.

“You couldn’t let this act damage your reputation as a kind-hearted girl, right, Sally?” Lucy asked with a small smirk. “So you reached out to your friends. First Zara, who refused but later left behind an empty box of chocolates and a note. Then Aurora, who wiped your fingerprints clean off of the knob of the bedside table drawer.” 

Sally went quiet before speaking up again. “Still...they both have motive and evidence! I have neither,”

Alfendi let out another chuckle. “Not so fast…” 

“Huh…?” Sally’s brow furrowed.

“We found a piece of evidence that you hoped would be ignored,” Lucy responded.

“W-what are you talking about?” Sally asked.

“We are talking about the donut bag,” Lucy answered.

“You must be mistaken. I brought that in for my brother as an apology. It isn’t evidence.”

“Then care to explain why there’s nowt but a few traces of crumbs left behind in the bag? Are you suggesting you saw the body and proceeded to eat your deceased brother’s apology treat?” Lucy questioned with a look of suspicion and a raised eyebrow.

“Then how do you suppose the scene went down? Care to explain that to me?” Sally requested, her determination continuing to fall apart.

Alfendi grinned widely. “Most certainly.” He cleared his throat. “Based on the information gathered from the scene and the answers to the questions I asked your two friends, I assume it went like this: You went to your brother’s house, donut bag in hand. You claimed to want to apologize about your behavior in the argument you had with him about your parents the previous day. Aurora was kind enough to let us know about the disputes the two of you would have about the divorce of your parents. You gave him the donut and appeared to have moved on from the bickering, but that isn’t true, isn’t it? You still held resentment towards him. So you purposefully fed him a very sugary donut and reassured him it was sugar-free. Suddenly, he began to feel ill. You helped him up to his bed and pretended to retrieve his insulin and blood glucose meter for him, only to run off with the former. Struggling to catch up with you, Ethan rose from his bed only to fall down on the steps, which would become his final resting position. In a state of shock, you rushed to your friends, first of whom was Zara, who denied to assist but later changed her mind, then Aurora, who agreed. The next day, you went to Ethan’s and claimed to have discovered the body.” Now finished with his telling of the scene, Alfendi shifted his gaze to Sally. “Based on your bewildered expression, I’d say I hit the mark, didn’t I?”

“W-what? B-but...b-but I…how?” Sally stuttered.

“The well-known Layton deduction skills at its finest,” Alfendi said with a smirk.

“Best to just admit to it now and make things easier for everyone, Sally,” Lucy chimed.

Sally sighed, her shoulders slumped. “F-fine! I-I’m guilty! I disgustingly used my brother’s condition to my advantage, I just, didn’t understand him! How could he side with my mother?” 

Alfendi held up a hand. “That’s all we needed to hear. Thank you, Sally.”

**~**   


“There’s nothing like the success of another solved case, eh Prof?” Lucy stated with a happy smile as she walked into the Mystery Room once more.

Alfendi chuckled and nodded his agreement. He then gave Lucy an apologetic look. “I’m sorry again about my behavior earlier today, I didn’t mean what I said.”

Lucy smiled again. “It’s alright, I forgive you. I’m sorry for my actions as well. It’s behind us now though.”

“Right. Still, I’m proud of you and your work Lucy, and thankful as well. I likely would have continued to chase after Zara without you.”

Lucy giggled. “Ta very much Prof! I’m glad to have been of assistance,”

The moment was cut short when once again sneezes were heard outside the door. 

Lucy opened the door and Florence entered. “Nice work from the two of you today…” Florence complimented. 

“Thank you Florence!” Lucy replied cheerfully.

“Also...Alfendi, I heard…I heard…” Florence sneezed. “Sorry...I heard Zara is apologetic for what she did to the Reconstruction Device...and she is willing to help put it back in running order as soon as possible,”

Alfendi smiled in relief. “Well that’s good news,”

Lucy nodded. “Sure is~!”

“Well, I’d better head back to the lab…” Florence replied with a sniffle. “I’ll see the both of you later then…” 

“Goodbye, Florence,” Lucy waved.

Florence smiled and waved back before exiting the room, Lucy closing the door behind her.


End file.
